Staying Power of a Song Depends on the Imitations

7/25/2013 12:27PM

Cover-song homages are a growing marker of a hit song’s popularity: the bigger the hit, the faster the homage’s hit the internet. The current No. 1 pop song, Blurred Lines, by Robin Thicke, is the latest to get the cover tributes. John Jurgensen gives a listen. Photo: Getty Images.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... I ... oh ... there are a good measure of a song called what impact it can be changed and how many people well coffee and with the rise of YouTube cover versions of pop songs about like the one you're so seem to blur the lines and give artists ... new longevity your report is the beest entertainer reporter ... John Jurgensen ISI new kind of like ... moving and you know you and I knew the definition of a new vehicle sales are never reason ... blurred lines are a what is this song proven about the power of the heart of imitation well aside from all the controversy around him so that we design one of the present ... the ... the army for just cause licenses ... so ... after I died and will we see now is this kind of layering effect for other artists covering this this on ... um it's a catchy song it's a it's a melody become references Marvin Gaye the people picking up on this to show that there are almost the same thing about the have some pretty big name artists covering this again we can ... squeeze the stone age and others to the concert like fund for example ... um so it's just this this for minor that we're all sort of in the same world with a star or you're a fan of the Orol container eighty six cents ... in the end of the things at least the YouTube in the Internet has made it possible for them to really ... do their covers and intuitive maps in mass and this is this is not a new phenomenon has a sore point for all my comes to mind too ... aam you know what every in the hit song or even minor hit songs ... you have ... thousands if not millions of people of retreat this offering their spin on it you've had successive generations of YouTube stars who've broken a broken out on our own way ... as result of that so it just gonna go to show it to reinforce the fact it is an important currency ... when comes to live Koch ... call me maybe I The Justin Justin Bieber what what's that example tell us what I was the last to last summer's example of this phenomenon ... launched her career was when he leaves his own sword and you respond ... they ... have to pay ... this this summer says the death of ... the song is probably the ... even bigger from the comfort of your mind to smuggle with or buy smokes has been a lot of people weighing in on its own ... there's something there something about it like a pop songs rap songs don't get covers much run for obvious reasons ... but if you if you have an infectious melody of melody has an openness to in Laos interpretation but given ... that report disco song ... aam and his people lot of channels in a lot of them to to to to increase its been ... a sometimes the hardest when they add that Korean stand up in ABS we make the song they're seeking about what happened with Whitney Houston the song I will always love you it was like what this was a bipartisan right now I mean not many people know they were down the control wanting a new this did a perfect and I was the example of how this thing and that just goes to show that covers this one institution of music history and that is really important ... like ... passing passing a song from one artist mother and one audience ... quick question the financing of all this like how I was making money where you know I mean that's the thing I would like are a lot nice of a lot of people there is a song but ... you know don't re media in general most people are making money covers ... among people who are putting their own fan version of the songs ... are not seeking a licence from from the artists you can sell this on ... and so there's no money changing hands of the bill is being compensated for its own bodies and then covers ... sort of or just high winds to speak ... out but there are some some mom some companies are taking steps to Monti's this for example Universal music Publishing a major publishing ... catalog ... has made some deals with some being ... YouTube networks ... so whatever their music stars the music stars have access to its catalog and then when they sell ads against it they all share and revenue created weren't so it's it's a dense parent Allstate to think and are starting to ... roll it out but ... they're still way for potential event owns groups can share the money that speed generating ... Tidjane Jensen thank so much that more the arena section smart guy with minimal damage in the next morning they all ... add to work on that thing to be with us ...